One commute via the MTA to Baruch made me realize how behind the city is in terms of technology. New York City is always portrayed to be the great city but it has been stagnant for so many years. Having been to Hong Kong and having experienced their transit system I can never look at New York the same way again. Hong Kong’s is so much more advanced in terms of order, sanitation, punctuality, and efficiency. Their transit system has been fairly better than New York’s even before the financial crisis of ’08. How is that possible? New York City is the center of attention for the United States yet the public transportation is so far behind. What’s more amazing is that the Hong Kong metro card can serve as a credit card too! What this means is that their metro card can be used in stores like supermarkets and delis; it cannot be used to purchase dinner at restaurants or clothing from malls but this shows how much more advanced they are compared to New York. Their metro cards does not require swipes, instead the user simply needs to know where in their bag the card is and all they have to do is motion that part of the bag next to the sensor and they are allowed entry.
Why is New York so behind on such an important aspect of the city? Perhaps it is because the MTA is owned by the government and perhaps because there is only one public transit system in the whole city. If there was an opportunity to fail and more competition perhaps New York would put more focus in improving this public good. Is it entirely necessary for New York to improve the MTA? If the MTA was to improve, would this development allow for other parts of the city to become more advanced and prosperous?
